Cooling or refrigerating structure



March 4, 1930.

E. F. HERSH GOOLING OR REFRIGERATING STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 6, 1928 2Sheets-Sheer. 1

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COOLING 0R REFRIGERATING STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 6, 1928 2 sheets-shut 2gwwwtoz E fillers];

Patented Mar. 4, 1930 UNIEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE;

EARL r. HERSH', or MGALLEN, TEXAS COOLING on REFRIGERATI NG srauc'runnApplication filed November This invention relates to the art of keepingperishable objects cool and particularly buildings wherein such objectsmay be stored and kept for an indefinite period The general object ofthe invention is to provide a building of this character so constructedthat the interior will be kept cool and at a relatively low temperaturewithout the use of ice or other refrigerating appliances such as coolingcoils and the like.

A further object of the invention is to so construct a building of thecharacter stated that it will be keptat all times at a temperatureapproximately that of the temperature at night, the night temperaturebeing cooler than the day temperature by approximately an average ofseventeen or eighteen degrees, this being particularly true of tions ofTexas.

A further object is to provide a building certain porstructure formedwith an outer wall and an inner wallwith an air space between the innerand outer wall, with an air space in the roof of the building and belowthe floor thereof, and provide means whereby ventilators in the floormay be opened'during the night to allow the entrance of cool air andprovide air discharge flues having dampers whereby a the flues may beopened during the night to permit the cold air entering the room toforce the warmer air out through said flues.

' The flues and ventilators are closed in the morning so as to entrapthecold air and preserve it within the room orbuilding insulated fromthe atmosphere surrounding the building.

Detailed objects will appearmore fully hereinafter. v

My invention is illustrated in the accom' panying drawings, whereinFigurel is a vertical transverse sectional view through a coolingbuilding constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof with the walls section; I

Figure 3 is a vertlcal section through the outerand inner walls; v

Figure e,- 1928. Serial No. 317,662.

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view throughtwo of the trays.

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that'I have illustrateddiagrammatically a building particularly adapted for the storage offruits, vegetables and the like though it 7 may be used for many otherdifferent purposes. The wall of the building preferably consists ofhollow tile designated generally 10 extending upward from a suitablefoundation to any desired height and upon this is disposed the roof 11which is shown as upwardly inclined. I I

The floor of the building is supported upon suitablejoists 12 andpreferably the hollow tile of the walls 10 would extend down to theground and be formed as a checker-work so as to provide the air openings18 opening into the space beneath the floor. The floor 14 is formed ofan upper and a lower layer of boards or like material and anintermediate layer of some temperature insulating material such forinstance as celotex. This floor is so laid as to be practicallyimpervious to the passage of air'an'd is provided at any desiredintervals with relatively large ventilat ing doors or valves 16'. Thesedoors or valves are shown as formed of two hingedsections adapted to beopened upward to permit the inlet of air through the openings 15 or tobe loweredor closed. The wall 10 ispreferably covered with stucco andinward of the wall 10 there is an inner wall 17 Preferably this I outerwall will be of eight-inch hollow tile and there will be an air space oftwelve inches between the outer wall and the wall 17 of the inner roomor compartment enclosing the wall 17 T Extending upward and inward fromthis inner wall is an inner roof designated 18.

' The wall 17 and the'inner roof 18 will be formed of shiplap andthermofil as shown in Figure 3 wherein the shiplap is designated 19 andthe thermofil 20. Between the inner roof 18 and the outer roof 11 thereis an air space 21 which communicates with the air space between theouter wall and the inner wall. This air space opens into a compartmentor chamber 23 having louvres 24: in or forming the walls of thecompartment. Thus, it will be seen that air entering through thecheckerwork 13 will circulate beneath the floor and pass upward throughthe space between the Walls and between the outer and inner roofs andthence pass out through the louvres 24:.

Extending down through the roof of the chamber 23 and downward throughthe false roof or inner roof 18 are ventilation pipes 25 each carryingat its upper end a ventilating hood 26. These hoods may be rotatablymounted upon the chimneys 25 in the manner of chimney cowls so as toturn with the wind or they may be fixed. I do not wish to be limited tothe particular form of these hoods provided the construction is such asto secure a good upward draft through the ventilating pipes 25.Preferably each of the ventilating pipes 25 will be provided at itslower end with a damper 27 shown as a double swinging damper though anyother damper may be used and preferably the upper ends of the pipes 25may also be provided with dampers 28 so that when these dampers areclosed, upward movement of any air through these ventilating flues orpipes 25 will be absolutely prevented, the construction being such thatwhen the dampers are opened, a strong upward passage of air will besecured.

Preferably the compartment or inner room A will have a ceiling 28disposed below the inner roof. This ceiling will provide'a dead airspace 29 between the inner roof and the ceiling which may be dividedinto a series of cells by means of a partition 30 if desired. Thisceiling, therefore, forms a non-conductive structure or dead air spacebetween the room A and the space between the inner roof 18 and the roof11. 3

While as before stated, I do not wish to be limited to any particularuse for this cooling structure, I have heretofore erected a structure ofthis character for the purpose of keeping fruit, such for instance ascitrus fruits.

I have found that citrus fruits harvested in February may be kept untilJune without ice within a building constructed in accordance with myinvention.

While obviously various forms of racks may be used for preserving fruit,preferably I provide racks 31 which extend from the floor to the ceilingof the building, these racks being designed to receive sliding trays 32,

each tray being formed with a burlap bottom- 33 supported by open meshmetallic fabric,

thus permitting the free circulation of the shown it as an illustrationof my invention.

As before remarked, in the use of an invention of this character, theventilators are open at night and at night the cool night air entersthrough the doors, passes upward through the ventilators and fills theroom, forcing the warm air out through the discharge pipes. Early in themorning, these ventilators 16 are closed and the ventilators in thedischarge pipes are closed and the air is then retained in the room at arelatively much lower temperature than the air exterior to the building.This air is retained at this temperature by reason of the fact thatthere is an insulating space formed by the current of air passing upwardbetween the outer wall of the building and the inner wall and passingout through the louvres and furthermore by the fact that the outer wallis formed of tile and the inner wall 17 is formed of shiplap with somenonheat-conducting substance such as thermofil associated therewith.

The dead air space above the ceiling of the room A, of course also actsto insulate the room.

Of course, it will be understood that the louvres remain open at alltimes and the air circulates through the openings in the lower part ofthe tile wall up through the space between the walls, around between thetwo roofs and then out through the open louvre vents.

I claim 1. A cooling structure having an insulating floor, an outerwall, an outer roof, an inner wall extending upward from the floor andspaced from the outer wall, an inner roof associated with the inner'wallto thus provide an air circulating space between the outer and innerwalls and the outer and inner roofs, a chamber into which said spaceopens having louvres, ventilators disposed in the floor and ventilatingpipes extending up from the inner roof and extending exteriorly to theouter roof and having a damper.

2. A cooling structure of the character described, comprising an outerwall, an inner wall, an insulating floor for the spacedefined by theinner wall, the outer wall below the said floor having air inletopenings, an inner roof associated with the inner wall, an out er roofassociated with the outer'wall, the

air space between said roofs opening into the air space between saidwalls, a chamber into which said airspace opens having a louvre,ventilating valves in the fioor adapted to be opened at night to permitthe entrance of cold air, a vertical ventilator pipe opening from belowthe inner roof and extending to the outside air and a damper in theventilating pipe whereby the passage through the pipe may be permittedor cut off.

3. A cooling structure of the character described, comprising outerwalls of hollow tile, a floor operatively supported upon said walls,

the outer Wall below the floor having inlet openings for the inlet offresh air, an inner wall spaced from the outer wall and formed ofinsulating material, an outer roof associated with the outer wall, aninner roof associated with the inner wall, the space between said wallsand said roofs constituting an air circulating space and opening withthe space beneath the floor, a chamber into which the upper end of saidspace opens and having louvres, and a ventilating flue opening into theroom defined by the inner wall and extending upward and above the outerroof, a plurality of dampers disposed in said ventilating flue and aplurality of valves forming part of the floor and when open permittingthe entrance of air into the room from beneath the floor.

4. A cooling structure of the character described, comprising an outerwall, a floor carried thereby, an inner wall defining a room, the floorand inner wall being composed of non-heat-conducting materials, an outerroof associated with the outer wall, an inner roof associated with theinner Wall, the space between the outer and inner walls and the outerand inner roofs forming an air circulating space, said space openingbeneath the floor, a chamber into which the upper end of said spaceopens and having louvres, a ceiling for said room and spaced from theinner roof to provide a dead air space and a ventilating flue leadingfrom the room up through the dead air space and through the outer roof,and means for controlling the passage of air therethrough.

5. A cooling structure of the character described including an innerchamber having a wall, floor and roof, an outer walland roof enclosingthe inner chamber, and defining an air space surrounding the innerchamber above, below and around the same, the outer Walls above theinner chamber having ventilating openings, the floor of the innerchamber having valved openings into said air space, and valvedventilators leading from the upper portion of the inner chamber throughthe outer roof.

In'testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

EARL F. HERSH.

